Ecological and integrative sustainability in focus: Empowering students to become the stewards of the future Erasmus Project

Project Title

Ecological and integrative sustainability in focus:
Empowering students to become the stewards of the future

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Integration of refugees; Energy and resources; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions

Project Summary

Erasmus+ Project – Sustainability in Focus – 2018-2021
The project “Ecological and integrative sustainability in focus: Empowering students to become the stewards of the future“ focussed on creating a sustainable future. Since a sustainable life will only be attainable in the future if people, and especially young people, become more aware of the challenge ahead. Hence the focus of the project was on the living environment of the pupils and also took into account the specific situation of each school and its surroundings. The culturally diverse starting points were seen as valuable and formed the basis from which the challenges of sustainability were addressed, compared and worked on together. Of the five schools involved, three combine vocational and general education and two are grammar schools. They are in Spain (Sevilla and Terrassa), Italy (Mirano), France (Amiens) and Germany (Marburg). The pupils directly involved in the project were between 14 and 17 years old.
As regards content, the young people will concerned themselves with an ecological way of life. Specific areas on the theme of sustainabilty were sustainable consumerism, saving energy, environmentally sound foodstuffs, waste avoidance. In these areas the schools deveoped ideas, made improvements and involved other institutions. Additionally, ideas about how sustainability can be achieved in social interaction in the schools were developed and activities to raise awareness and to become active members of society were organized and carried out. The theme of “social sustainability“ was important as it strengthened social values and has a long-term effect on the school environment as a whole.
Working groups of about 20 pupils were fomed in the schools of south, west and mid – Europe. They worked on local topics of sustainability using an interdisciplinary approach and prepared themselves for the international meetings with the partner schools. The pupils developed their own creative ideas about sustainability and documented these in the form of posters and videos. The compiled results were presented and discussed in several project meetings at different schools and revised in international small groups. These meetings also included local excursions relevant to the chief sustainability theme, with the aim of offering young people a practical context and commitment on a broader scale and, on the other hand, the opportunity of being well connected and aware of their surrounding.
The productions (posters and videos) can be used and incorporated into various lessons of the schools involved and were shared on the sxchool’s websites.
The principle of sustainability did not only play a role within the project itself but also continues to do so on a wider scale in daily social interaction, as an overall target in school development. To ensure the long-term effects of the project, it is important that the activities continue beyond the project phase. This will be achieved by regularly organising special activities in the schools such as upcycling-workshops, thrift-shops, fairtrade baking competions, workshops on solar energy, as well as performances and campaigns on special days like project days or open days.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 115633 Eur

Project Coordinator

Martin-Luther-Schule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Institut Can Jofresa
• Association Etablissement d’Enseignement La Providence
• IES FEDERICO MAYOR ZARAGOZA
• I.I.S. LEVI-PONTI